1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for treating crude oil, and in particular to an apparatus for separating sand and water from crude oil.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In general, it is necessary to treat crude oil to separate various substances such as sand and water from the oil before placing the oil in a pipeline, i.e. it is necessary to upgrade the crude oil to pipeline quality. Apparatuses for treating crude oil of generally the type described herein are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,536 and Canadian Pat. No. 1,152,019, both of which issued to H.R. Bull on June 25, 1968 and Aug. 16, 1983, respectively. While the Bull devices are effective in removing some substances from crude oil, it has been found that the treated crude oil obtained from existing apparatuses may still contain an undesirably high level of water.